Queenstown 6 February 2008

Onto Queenstown to see the famous lunar landscape! Guess what? It’s growing back in many places and there are lots of trees! There are still some areas that are slow to improve after the poisoning of the landscape (from sulphur fumes from the copper mines) many years ago! The locals are reported to be disappointed with the “grow back” as they promoted the lunar landscape as a tourist attraction. Strahan is taking over and drawing tourists to stay there instead. Queenstown has a very authentic character that is reflected in the original condition of many the wooden buildings and the sense of a poor community pervades the town. Still cold and the day temperature rose to 10degs. We drove back up the 99 bends leading to town to look at old copper mine called the Iron Blow, and see the old mining towns abandoned in recent years. Gormanston was interesting, more of Deliverance than Deliverance! Hey Katie! Great venue for a spooky movie!